Extension bail



March 9,1926. Re. 16,289

H. P.' TOMPKINS I EXTENSION RAIL ""original Filed J ne 8, 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 1 March 9,1926. 'R.,, 16,289

H. P. TOMPKINS EXTENS ION RAIL Original Filed June 8 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet2 mama Mar. 9; 1926.

SUNIITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.-

HABoL D TOMPKINS, OF CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

v xx'rnnsion nan.

' Original No. 1,486,700, dated March 11, 1924, Serial No. 644,226,filed 311110 8 1923. Application torreissue filed January 22, 1926.Serial No. 83,151.

To all whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that I, HAROLD P. TOMPKINS, acitizen of the United States, residing at. Charleston, in the county. ofKanawha and State of lVest Virginia, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Extension Rails, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description. y

In mines, quarries and the like, the track rails for cars requirefrequent short extensions at the loading, or working-faces of the mines.The laying of these extension tracks not only requires considerable timeand la bor, but necessitates the use of other men known as a tracklaying crew, during corresponding idle time and sometimes a day or twoof waiting on the part of the mining crew. It is, therefore, theprincipal object of this invention to provide simple, efficient anddurable track extension rails, which may be operated so easily andsimply that the'miners may accomplish this extension 7 simply sliding myextension rails forwardly and the track crew need not be called uponuntil the advancement of the working space beyond the ends of the, railsis sufii cient for a. whole new length of track rail. To accomplish thisobject it is necessary that the extension rails may be simply movedforwardly and slidalong the track rails and. rest upon the mine floorwhile the alignment is provided automatically. An object of theinvention is thereforeso to space the extension-rails that they mayengage and be acted upon by the flanges of'the car wheels to be therebygauged by actually sliding somewhat sideways, and may be held to thegauge. while the car is riding thereover.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the extension railthat it may comprise in effect an inverted channel member, slidable overthe track rail, and which may be capable of being easily produced ofsteel orthe like by the usual methods. A specific object in thisconnection isto so shape the extension rail that it may present such asupporting surface to the floor of the mine as to readily find rigidsupport thereon, and

v a further object in connection with the shap- 50 mg of the rail is toprovidethe greatest possible strength, commensurate with the desiredlight weight of the rail. Still another object is to so shapethe'extension rail thatit may lower the car support below the levelapplication of the improvement; Figure 2 of the track rail, thus givingthegreatest possible head room. J

A preferred embodiment of my invention, accomplishing the above objectsis shown in the accompanying drawings to which the following descriptionrelates. The essential 0 characteristics of my invention are summarizedin the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating the is a side elevationthereof; Figure 3 is a greatly enlarged transverse sectional viewthrough one of the extension rails in a. line with the combined handleand stop thereon; F 'gure 4 is a perspective view of the end of one ofthe rails to moreclearly illustrate the inclined or beveled cornerthereon; Figure. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view to -Inore clearlyillustrate the engagement of the wedge with the rail and the extension.I

The rails constituting the track 1, in a mine or quarry are of the usualconstruction and are spiked to the ties 2.

When the face or working place of a mine or quarry has been cut away torequire an extension of the mine track 1, it is ordinary practice to layadditional track on additional ties 2. These track extensions areconnected to the ends of the main track rails by fish plates oranalogous means and the track extensions are spiked to their ties.Especially in mines, where head room is small, the laying ofsuch trackextension is slow,.laborious and dangerous, and to obviate suchcontingencies I provide a track projector or extension rail thatcomprises a pair of rail members of a peculiar construction butam plyefiicient for the purpose. Each of my improved rails is in the nature ofa channeled member, shown as having outwardly inclined sides 3 thatpreferably have their lower" edges bent outwardly to providefeet L Thetop 5 of each of the rails is preferably substantially fiat and said topis of a width somewhat in excess of that of the heads of the rails ofthe track 1. The flat Y head 5 of my improved rail is shown centrallychanneled, as at 6. This channel is provided by grooving the flat top 5'to providethe same with depending parallel walls 1 6 and a lower roundedwall 7.

The'portions of the rail extension 8 which rest on the main rails arepreferably straight,

- relates.

and the portions that project beyond the endsof the said main rails arepreferably inclined downwardly to reston the floor of the mine orquarry. Adjacent their outer ends the rail members 8 have riveted orotherwisesecured to their .sides substantially U- shaped combined handleand car wheel stop members 10. The members 10 facilitate the handling ofthe rails 8. I

'l/Vith my improvement the extension rails are arranged over the headsof the rails .of

'the main track so that the side walls 6 of the extension rails willcontact with the sides of the heads of the respective main rails. Aseither'of the extension tracks may be arranged on either rail of themain track, it will be apparent that the fiangeof the wheel of the car11 may travel over either portion of the head 5 at the opposite side ofthe groove of the rail, and consequently two car tread receivingsurfaces are provided. \Vhen arranged on the rails the handles aregrasped and the extension rails are slid outwardly from the main trackto proper position with respect to the face or working place in a mineor quarry. The operator can, by his eye, determine if the ends of theextension rails are disposed opposite each other. The car 11 travelingtoward the. face or working place of the mine or quarry will travel offof the rails of the main track over the beveled ends 12 of the railextensions and be guided thereby so that their wheel flanges will bereceived in the grooves 6 and their treads be delivered on to the flattop of the rail extensions. The movement of the car over the extensionrails, in view of the contacting engagement of the Wheel flanges withthe walls of the said grooves will cause the extension rails to beproperly gauged. As this action is automatic, its value will beappreciated to those skilled .in the art to which this invention Theends of the projecting rails will, rest on the floor of the mine orquarry so that they will assume a downward inclination with respect tothe rails of the main track and consequently afford more head room in amine, the vertical crown or middle ordinate of the extension railallowing the other end to fit snugly to the main track rail. The railextensions,- at suitable intervals from their lapping engagement withthe rails of the main track may be braced by shale, mock, or othermaterial dlsposed' on the floor under the said rails.

If desired, a wedge 14 may be inserted be tween the heads of the railsof the main track and the angle sides of the rails 8 adjacent thereto sothat the inner ends of the rail extensions will be firmly connected tothe rails of the main track.

With my improvement 2). track can be extended in a very short period oftime and by a single hand, and no tools or securing-means are required.This can be accomplished by an ordinary miner. Because of its width andthe feet 4 on the sides thereof, the track extension will not sink intothe floor to any comparative degree and any slight sinking will onlyserve to hold the rails of the said track extension in proper alignment.The rails 8 can be removed as easily as positioned, are interchangeable,can be used over and over indefinitely, over wood, steel or other kindof ties and on any size rails or gauge track. 3

My improved extension rail may be arranged upon either wooden or metalties,

.and in Figure 3 of the drawings, the tie 2 has its central portion ofwood and its upper face of metal and its lower face of wood. Thesections are of different sizes. This, as a matter of fact, disclosesthree separate ties upon any one of which the main rails and theextension rails may be positioned.

Having'decsribed the invention, I.claim:

1. A car track extension for mines, quarries'or the like, comprising apair of channeled members each of a width materially greater than thecross sectional width of the heads of the mine car rails, and eachcentrally and longitudinally grooved to permit either of the sidewallsprovided by the groove contacting the side of the car rail heads, andwedglngmean's for holding the track extensions in such position.

2. An extension track for the car tracks of mines, quarries, ctc.,comprising a pair of similarly constructed rails, each comprising across sectionally U-shaped member having the edges of its-sides bentoutwardly to provide feet and each having its flat head centrallychanneled longitudinally, each of said track extensions being of amaterially greater width than the crosssectional width of the head ofthe mine car rails whereby either of the side walls provided by thegroove in the track extensions will be brought'next to the side of thesaid rails when the track extensions are arranged on the mine car rails,and means wedging the inner ends of the track extensions to the rails ofthe track.

3. In combination witha railway track, of an extension therefor,comprising a pair of similarly constructed rails eaehyconstituting amember which is substantially U; shaped in cross section, having itssides inclined outward and terminating in bent feet, the fiat face ofeach rail extension being centrally channeled longitudinally, either ofthe. side walls provided by the channel designed to contact with theside of the track rail head when arranged thereover, the sides of eachof the track extensions bemg inclined, and a combined handle and carwheel stop secured to each of the track extension thereof.

rails. adjacent to the outer end,-

4. In combination with a railway traclr,

of an extension therefor, comprising a pair of similarly constructedrails'each constitut- "ing a member which is substantially U- shaped ii/cross section, having its sides in-. clined outward and terminating inbent feet, the flat face of each rail extension being centrallychanneled longitudinally, either of the'side walls provided by thechannel designed to contact with the side of the track rall head whenarranged thereover, the sides of each of the track extensions beinginclined, and a substantially U-shaped member having its arms secured tothe sides of the rail extensions adjacent to the outer end thereof andproviding a combined handle and car wheel stop.

5. An extension for the tracks 1n mines,

etc., comprising a pair of channeled members having inner straightportions to rest on the heads of the car rails and outer inclinedportions to rest on the floor of the- -mine, and each of said railextensions being centrally and longitudinally channeled to receive theflanges of car wheels therein.

6. An extension for the tracks in mines, etc, comprising a pair of'channeled members having inner straight portions to rest on the headsof the car rails and outer portions to rest on the floor of the mine,and each of said rail extensions being longitudinally channeled toreceive the flanges of car 1 wheels therein.

7. The combination of a car track and extension members comprising apair of channel members having tread portions adapted to rest on theheads of the car track rails, and integral depending flanges adapted tosustain the tread portions beyond the end of said car rails, saidchannel members having parallel spaced apart shoulders extendinglongitudinally thereof and adapted to engage the flanges'of the carwheels -to cause the gauging of the extension channel members. I ,1 i

8. The combination with a .car track of an extension for the track,comprising a pair of channel members having tread portions ada ted torest on the heads ofthe car rails, an outer depending portions adaptedto sustain the tread portions beyond the car track rails, and each ofsaid channel members being longitudinally grooved to receive the flangesof car wheels'to cause "the lateral spacing or gauging of the overhanging or forwardly projecting portions of the channel members, saidmembers being easily slidable along the track rails.

' 9. The combination with a track rail of an extension railsubstantially wider than the track rail and having two tread portionseither ofwhich may rest upon the track rail,- said tread portions beingseparated by a longitudinally extending channel dependingbetween thetread ortions and adapted to be engaged by the anges of carwheels, andintegral depending portions at the outer sides of the tread portions andadapted to rest u on the ound.

' 10. com ination with a track rail, of an extension rail of invertedU-shape having a span at least twice as great as that of the rail, thetop portion of said extension rail being separated into two treadportions of equal "width by a depending trough shaped portion adapted toreceive the flange of the car wheel.

11. The combination with a track rail, bi

an extension rail of inverted U-shape having a span at least twice asgreat as that of the rail, and having an internal height substantiallyequal to that of the rail, the top portion of said extension rail beingseparated into two tread portions of equal width by a depending troughshaped portion adapted to receive the flange of the car wheel. v Signedat Charleston, West Virginia, this 19th day of January 1926. i.

Y HARoLD P. TOMPKINSQ

